The Charter for Trees, Woods and People

In 1217, two years after the Magna Carta, the king was forced to sign another document limiting his rights, the Charter of the Forest. Unlike the Magna Carta, which was largely about the rights of the Barons, this new Charter was of genuine use to the common people, protecting their use of the forest against the encroachments of the aristocracy.

Now, 800 years later, the Woodland Trust has launched a campaign for a new Charter for Trees, Woods and People to again lay out the relationship between trees and people, putting the protection of woods and of people’s right to use them sustainably at the heart of planning. The charter itself will be launched in 2017, on the anniversary of the Charter of the Forest. In the meantime, they are looking for people to build the background to the charter by collecting their stories of their relationship with trees and the woods. Reforesting Scotland is one of the partners supporting the project.